Happy Halloween

Yesterday, we took Grace and Jeremy on our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Gracie enjoyed running around and looking at all the pumpkins. Jeremy was asleep the whole time. Jason picked out one pumpkin for carving, and Grace picked out her own pumpkin. When we got home, Jason helped Grace experience her first pumpkin carving. She did not like putting her hands into the pumpkin to scoop out its contents, so Jason did most of the work.

Today, our family went to our church's Fall Carnival. It was another chance for Grace to dress up as a butterfly (though she thought it was her birthday again), and for Jeremy to be a caterpillar. After grabbing a bite to eat, we had cotton candy, popcorn, decorated cookies, and played several carnival games. She's definitely all sugared up now! Jeremy on the other hand, was asleep the whole time we were gone, and as of this moment, is still sleeping. You know what that means- I'm going to be up all night with him since he'll be wide awake when I'm ready to go to bed! Check out our photo album!

Gracie's 3rd Birthday!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Gracie! It really is hard to believe that she is 3! She has been looking forward to this day for weeks, so she woke up full of excitement. Her special day started off with pancakes that Jason made her for breakfast (in the shape of Mickey Mouse).

Since her birthday is so close to Halloween, this year's party was also a costume party. Weeks ago, I had asked her what she wanted to be for her birthday and she said, "A butterfly." Ever since, she has talked non-stop about getting to dress up as butterfly. I tried to incorporate butterflies as much as possible into her party. The first thing the kids did was work on a butterfly craft. Lunch was served next. Jason's mom helped a great deal in getting the meal ready. We had farfalle (butterfly shaped) pasta with tomato or cream sauce, green salad, fruit salad, veggies, and butterfly shaped toast. Gracie opened up her gifts next. So far in her life, Gracie hasn't really been exposed to "frilly" things. Her costume is the first time we've ever really seen her in frilly clothes. I guess things are about to change because today she got some pretty girly things, such as a Barbie, miniature Barbies, a frilly ballerina dress for dressing up, and even lip gloss! As well, she got many Dora the Explorer items, board games, cute clothes, among other things. As she was opening up her gifts, Jason and some other guys hid plastic butterflies around our backyard. After all the gifts had been opened, each kid got a butterfly net and was sent hunting for butterflies. They had so much fun! Our time ended with singing "Happy Birthday" to Grace and having her blow out her 3 candles. We are sure that Gracie will remember this day for a long time to come! Make sure you check out pictures of her special day in our Photo Album.

Gracie came into our lives 3 years ago...

Our 3 year old sweetie

Time with Grace

The weather in Fresno this past week has been so nice! Today, I took Gracie and Jeremy to Oso de Oro Park. We met up with our friends, Christa and Jamie, and Grace got a chance to play with Isaac, Violet, and Charlotte. I was also able to sneak away and spend a little bit of time alone with Grace (Jeremy was fast asleep and Christa and Jamie took turns holding him). Grace and I went on a short walk to go watch ducks in the pond and we came across some geese. She had fun following them around until one turned around and started following her. That certainly freaked her out! Aside from that, I was glad to have some time alone with her. I know that even though she's been completely accepting of Jeremy, any feelings she's had about his birth have been directed at me. She has had many moments of not wanting anything to do with me. For example, she has refused to give me hugs or kisses, refuses to tell me that she loves me, tells me that she's mad at me, or that she doesn't want me... It's been hard to hear but I'd prefer that she take it all out on me as opposed to Jeremy. I know that in the long run, things will be fine between us. For now though, I'll just continue to look forward to times when the two of us can be alone together.

An 8 Pounder

Yeah! We did it! Our doctor had set the goal for Jeremy to gain his birth weight by today's visit. He actually surpassed the goal of 7 lbs, 14 oz. and is now 8 lbs! It seems like such a small thing, but after all we've been through with feeding/nursing issues, it's actually a big deal for us. With a fuller tummy after each feeding, Jeremy is much more content. As much as can be said since he's a newborn, he's been pretty easy going and laid back, unlike Gracie who we remember as hard to please, "high maintenance." So far, everything about these two kids is different! Wonder how it'll be as they grow up...

Whew- Made it through Week 1!

It's been a long and exhausting first week as a family of four, but we're all doing pretty well. Gracie has surprised us, really stepping up in her new role as "big sister." She is extremely loving and wants to help us with EVERYTHING. When Jeremy cries, she runs to look for his binky, or brings us diapers and tells us he needs to be changed. She loves to kiss him and hold him in her lap. When I look at her now, she somehow seems so much older...
Jason was able to take time off work to help with Jeremy, but he went back to work on Thursday. Jason's mom came and stayed with us Wednesday and Thursday night. She has been extremely helpful, particularly since Jeremy has had trouble nursing. On Tuesday, we took him into the lactation center and found out that in five days, he had lost over a pound off his birth weight. He still has jaundice and has not been eating well so we've had to make changes to his feeding. When we went to have him weigh in today, we were so relieved to find out that he's back in the 7 pound range. Our goal is that he will be back at his birth weight within this next week. It's been overwhelming! I had to start supplementing his feeding with a Supplemental Nursing System and formula. Jeremy takes over an hour at each feeding, and since he's supposed to be fed every 2 1/2 hours, you can imagine how much rest I'm getting! As well, Jeremy had his first appointment with his pediatrician today- he had "guy" stuff taken care of. So, not only is he having a hard time feeding, now he's also going to need time to heal. Every time I hear him crying, it makes me tense up inside and want to cry with him.
Anyway, despite everything, I have to say that as of this moment, I'm feeling much more optimistic and less stressed out. I am so grateful for all the friends who have come by to spend time with us. I haven't been able to really be out and about, so it's been nice to have company. We're also so thankful for the wonderful meals that people have been bringing. Click on our "Photo Album" for some pictures of things that have happened over this past week.

It's a boy!

After much anticipation, we are thrilled to announce our baby's arrival... It's a boy! Jeremy Edward Anh Hao Isaac joined our family on Thursday, October 11 at 3:50pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz. and is 21 1/4 inches long (in comparison, Grace was 7lbs, 11 oz., and 19 3/4 inches long). His arrival was long awaited since I was supposed to be induced at 6am. The hospital was so busy with births that nothing actually got underway until around 11am. When it was finally announced that we had a boy, I was so overcome with emotion that I cried for a good 10 minutes. Jason and I are filled with joy and are so thankful to be blessed with a son. Overall, Jeremy and I are both doing well. Jeremy's blood sugar was tested many times while we were in the hospital and thank goodness, he has shown no signs of having any complications as a result of my gestational diabetes. As for me, well, let's just say that I've eaten a lot of sweets in the last 24 hours! We were released from the hospital yesterday. It is a little surreal to be at home with 2 kids! Thank you for extending so much love, encouragement, and prayers for all of us over these past few weeks/months. We can't wait to introduce all of you to our sweet little Jeremy! Until then, you can view some pictures if you look under the "Friends and Family" section of our blog, under "Our Family's Photo Album."

We're ready... I think!

Well, since I was hoping to be induced today (Wednesday), I really worked at trying to get everything on my "to-do" list done by yesterday. Of course there are always going to be things that need to be done, but my priority items are done. Our baby room is pretty much ready- I figure it doesn't need to be 100% completed since the baby will be staying in our room for at least a few weeks before Jason moves it to its own room. Here are some pictures.

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and would've been induced today, but St. Agnes is scheduled to be really busy today with births, so my doctor moved me until 6am tomorrow. Last night, I sat for quite a while wondering what I should do with my "last day." So, my goal for today is to try and prepare mentally and emotionally for what's to come tomorrow and then for the fact that we're going to have 2 kids! I've been listening to praise & worship music and I have been reading verses about trusting God- I really need to let go of my fears and anxieties! My desire is to be filled with peace. New life is truly miraculous and a blessing, so I should be focusing on that, not everything else. I don't have control over any of that anyway...

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement these last few weeks... I am greatly appreciative. And just so you know- after the baby arrives, please feel free to call, email, and/or visit- I'm the kind of person who really needs to have the company... Just think- next time I blog, it'll be to introduce you to our new baby!

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

For those of you who don't know, today is Thanksgiving in Canada. Thanksgiving, whether Canadian or American, is one of my favorite holidays. Even though our family won't be celebrating with a delicious turkey feast, it is most definitely a great time to reflect on everything that we have to be thankful for. It's hard to see sometimes in the busyness of life, but we are truly blessed... Here are some examples: I am thankful that- Jason and I were able to go out on a date on Friday night just the two of us (much thanks to Aaron and Christa, who were so willing to watch Gracie for us); for a husband who hasn't complained (yet) for the ever growing to-do list; for being able to get a lot of work done around the house to prepare for our new addition; for the opportunity to realize how something like eating and food can be taken for granted; for the chance to "slow down" my pace of life during these past few weeks; for an incredibly cute daughter who is truly so much fun and a joy to be around (usually); for friends who have shown encouragement, care, love, and concern during these tough few months; for a "new" car (we got Jason's mom's car- she just bought a new car, and we just happened to need another car since Jason can't use his truck for times when he'll need to transport 2 kids!)... I will also be very thankful if by the end of this week, we have a new healthy addition to our family... I have an appointment today, but I won't see the doctor until tomorrow. If everything goes as it should, the plan is still that I'll be induced on Wednesday... Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers this week!

Cut, cut, cut!

I finally made it a priority to take Grace to an actual salon today to get her hair cut. I've cut her bangs since she was 18 months, but it's always been at least a 3 day process. I cut it one day, then notice how uneven it is the next day, so I trim it again, and then trim it again on the 3rd day. Even then, it doesn't always look right. With Grace turning 3 in a few weeks, we thought it was time for her to finally get the rest of her hair cut. It was starting to look stringy.

I took her to ScissorHands, which is right down the street from our house. The amount of time we waited for her turn was longer than the actual hair cut. When I cut her hair at home, I usually give her a lollipop every time I make her sit for me. Actually, it ends up being several DumDum pops by the time I'm finished. Today, she only got to eat one. The stylist made it look so easy- and Grace was totally cooperative, which resulted in her hair being done in no time at all. Great job, Gracie! Okay, this picture doesn't really show anything dramatically different, but at least her hair is trimmed and not so out of control!

Wawona Volleyball

One of Jason's greatest loves is coaching volleyball. He is so passionate about the sport. It is so fun to watch him teach his girls so much and to see what they're able to do by the end of the season. Unfortunately, this year's team ended up with a 3-5 record. The season did end on a good note this week when they played and won 2-0 against Ahwahnee. Our friends' daughter, Allison Camden plays for Ahwahnee, so it was neat to see other familiar faces at the game. Sorry for such dark pictures! Next Saturday, his team will be competing in Hoover High's Valley Volleyball Tournament, which is always a highlight on which to end the entire season.

It's hard to tell, but this is Allison on the court. Lisa and I got a chance to chat after the game.